Combined valve and siphon.



J. SHANKS.

COMBINED VALVE AND SIPHON.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 1a, 1913.

l,@90,885., Patented Mar. 24, 19m

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v 21 f H, H

JOHN sminxs, or Barnum, soormnn'.

I COMBINED VALVE AND SIP'HON.

To all whom it may concern Be-it known that I,JH1 -I SHANKS, a sub ject of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing 'at ing tanks of water closets, urinals and the like, .and has for its general object to provide a device whereby siphonic action Wlll be initiated automatically and which may be employed for manual actuation, while insuring that in the latter case operative con-- ditions are not disturbed by actuation of the device prior to the cistern having been entirely filled.

' In the accompanying drawings Figures ,1, 2 and 3 are vertical sections of flushing ,tanks equipped "with alternative constructions of devices embodying the inventlon-g Fig. 4 shows a detail hereinafter referred to; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operationfof the device.

Referring particularly to Flg. 1, secured to the'bottom of the flushing tank 1- 15. all outlet connection 2. including a tubular portion affording a valve seat 3, said tubular member being surrounded by an open-work" structure 4 arranged to permit v passage of water.

The structure l serves to support a superposed casing 5 between which and the upper end of said structure 1s interposed a diaphragm 6 of leather, rubber or other sultable material constituting a'valve adapted normally to engage the seat 3. Secured to the diaphragm 6, and disposed substant ally coaxial wit-h the outlet connection 2 1s a pipe connection 7 which uprises within an upwardly also co-axial extending portion 8 of the casing 5 to a point adjacent to the upper closed end 5 thereof'and is preferably provided-at its upper extremity with a suitably supported cap 9 arranged so as to afiord a narrow substantially .annular opening 10 through which the overflow water passes, as hereinafter described. The pipe connection 7 also passes downwardly through the diaphragm -G to a convenient point beneath the seat 3 and preferably terminates at its lower "end in a flared portion-'11 which tends to spread the overflow water asit passes into the discharge pipe '12.

The diaphragm 61s preferably provided Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed lifarch 1a, 1913; man at. 755,190.

Y casing 5.

" Patented Mar. 2%, i914.

at its'apper face with a disk 13 which serves to maintain the diaphragm on its seat 3 and is e ui ped with projections 14 which engage with the inner face 15 of the super-- posed casing 5 and permit water to pass be tween the disk 13 and the casing, when the diaphragm 6' is raised off its seat 3, said casing 5 being formed with a small aperture l6 for the admission of water thereto.

It will be understood that on the inflow of water intothe tank 1, water will pass through the open-work structure 4 and throughthe a erture 16 in the casing 55, thus equalizing the pressure on the diaphragm 6 which is held on its seat 3 by the weight of the pipe connection 7' and other parts connected thereto, and that water will rise in the upwardly extending portion 8 of the The Walter having risen to the upper edge of the inner pipe? is caused to move upwardly along the concave surface of the cap 9 by capillary action, as indicated in Fig. 5, and passes downwardly over the upper edge of the pipe. By the provision of said cap the stream lines of the water are that, the 'pipe 7 being of relatively small diameter, the cross-sectional area of the bore is entirely filled by the water in its downward passage, thereby initiating siphonic 7 caused to approach the axis of the pipe, so

action. The size of the aperture 16' is suchthat although the water will rise within the pipe 8 at approximately the same rate as the Water level in the cistern or tank 1, on

tively slow rate, this passage is not large enough to permit of a sufliciently rapid rush of water to follow up the siphonic action. Therefore, the pressure upon the upper side of the diaphragm is relieved with the efiect that the'l'atter is raised and the water now -finds a considerable cross sectional area for the "provision of a device which may take the the latter being filled at the usual comparaloo form of a piston 17 workin in an auxiliary 18 communicating-, y means of a 19, with the superposed, casing 5 so thati'onmovement of the" piston 17, as by means of a'push button 19" fitted directly on the tank and a. bell-crank lever 20 and rod 21, a small volume of fluid may be impelled upwardly within the, extension 8 of the superposed casing. 5 and thesiphonic action be established.

In another modification, Figs. 3 and 4, applicable more particularly to tanks of the overheadtype, the siphonic actionvis estab lished manually by means of an auxiliary supply of water introduced to the superposed casing 5 for instance through the in: termediary of pi ing 22 led from a suitabl incased hollow fiexible member 23 adapte to be acted upon as by means of a push button 24 within convenient reach of the operator.

In the constructions last described. even if the apparatus be operated'before the cistern is entirely filled with water, the water level inside the pipe 8 will not be permanently affected, so that, on the water assuming its proper level in the cistern, the entire device will be ready for repeated manipulation.

What I claim is '1. The combination with a tank having an extension and provided with means for admitting fluid thereto, a valve cooperating with said valve seat and exposed to the fluid pressures in said tank and casing respectively,- and a siphon pipe carried by said 3 valve, arranged coaxial with said extension, i

and communicating with said outlet.

' 2. The combination with a tank having an outlet provided with a valve seat, of a l casing within said tank having a closed up- 5 ,two subscribing witnesses.

ward extension and a relatively smallopen- 1ng communicating wlth said tank, a valve cooperating with said valve seat and exposed to the fluid pressures in said tank and casing respectively, and a siphon pipe carried by said valve, arranged coaxial with said exten' sion, and communicating with said outlet.

3. The combination with a tank having an outlet provided with a valve seat, of a casin within said tank' having a closed upward extension and provided with means for admitting fluid thereto, a diaphragm closing with said valve seat and exposed to the fluid pressures in said tank and casing respectively, and a siphon pipe carried by said valve, arranged coaxial with said extension, and communicating with said outlet, said siphon pipe being provided at; its upper end with a cap arranged to aflord a narrow opening between the same and the end of said pipe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of JOHN SHANKS. Witnesses:

JOHN MCCLEARY', THOMAS Brsnor GRAHAM. 

